Win for two Christians arrested for preaching next to LGBT flags
from Christian Concern:
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has dropped a case against two street preachers who faced being criminalised following arrests for refusing to stop preaching from the Bible on Glastonbury High Street.
Mr John Dunn and Mr Shaun O’Sullivan, who are being supported by the Christian Legal Centre, were arrested by officers wearing rainbow lanyards under section 35 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
One officer at the scene, after being described as a man by the preachers, said: “I am going to challenge that as you don’t know whether I am a man or a woman, I’m a person, ok.”
After the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided to take forward the case, both men faced being convicted this week at Taunton Magistrates’ Court.
Before District Judge Angela Brereton, the preacher’s lawyers argued that issuing a dispersal notice was unjustified and that the arrests and prosecutions were disproportionate and unlawful.
They added that both men were exercising their Article 9 and 10 rights by expressing that same sex sexual practice and transgenderism is incompatible with the Bible and the Christian faith.
In response, the CPS were not in a position to make their case and therefore offered ‘no evidence’ to all charges.
Forced to drop the case, Judge Brereton granted the preacher’s their legal fees and travel expenses to be paid by the State.
Police rainbow lanyards
The hearing for the case came following months of antisemitic protests on the streets of London with Islamists calling for ‘jihad’ and the destruction of Israel without the police taking any action. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has described it as ‘mob rule’.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
